Driving and braking mechanism for bicycles.



No. 666,068. Patented Jan. 15, l90l. E. SARVELA.

DRIVING AND BRAKING MECHANISM FOR BIC YGLES.

(Application filed June 18, 1900.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

INVENTOR.

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No. 666,068. Patont ed Ian. l5, l90l.

' E. SARVELA.

DRIVING All D BRAKING IEGIIMIISI FDR BICYGLES.

(Appliutlon Mad June 18, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WI T NESS E5 INVENTOR. I 8/. My 3 BY Mu 0 I ATTORNEYK I r0630 4, )WJ;

NITED STATES EDVARD SARVELA, OF WHITESBOROUGH, CALIFORNIA.

DRIVING AND BRAKING MECHANISM FOR BlCYCL-ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 666,068, dated January15, 1901.

Application filed June 18, 1900. Serial No. 20,768. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDVARD SARVELA, a subject of the Emperor of Russia,residing at Whitesborough, in the county of Mendocino and State ofGalifornia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drivingand Braking Mechanism for Bicycles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in driving and braking mechanismfor bicycles; and the objects of my invention are to provide a mechanismby which the power can be applied to propel the bicycle with greateradvantage and economy of power than with those at presentin use; also,to provide means whereby the propelling mechanism may be geared rapidlyand conveniently to a high speed or to a low speed, as may be desired,according to the character of the road to be traversed, and also toprovide an improved form of braking mechanism in connection with myimproved propelling mechanism.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycleequipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the novelmechanism of my invention on an enlarged scale. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and8 are details of small parts of the mechanism. Fig. 9 is an enlargedbroken plan view, partly in sections, showing a portion of thepropelling mechanism. Fig. is a horizontal section through the rearaxle, enlarged. Fig. 11 is a partially-broken top plan view of a sleeveon the rear axle. Fig. 12 is a side view of one of the sleeves. Fig. 13is a vertical section showing the braking mechanism. Fig. 14 is acentral section through a lever of the propelling mechanism, and Figs.and 16 are details. 7

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that 1 represents the frameof the bicycle; 2,

the front wheel, and 3 the rear wheel, thereof. Upon the axle 4 of therear wheel, at each end thereof, is loosely pivoted a lever 5, the longarm 6 of which carries at its frontend a treadle 7, while the short arm8 has attached thereto a wire rod 9. Said rod 9 has formed at its rearend a head 10 and is thereby held in an eye bolt 11, passed through asleeve 12, the sleeve 12 being clamped at any desired point in a slot 13in the short arm 8 by means of a nut 14 and the eyebolt being secured inthe sleeve 12 by means of the Washer 15 and nut 16. The forward end ofthe rod 9 is clamped in a fork 17, which passes on each side of a shortarm 19 of a lever 20, having a slot 18. Said fork 17 is maintained inany desired position in said slot by means hereinafter described. Saidlever 20 is pivotally mounted in the lower end of the frame inthe placeof the usual crankaxle. The long arm 23 of said lever has connectedthereto at its end a wire rod 24, the rear end of which is connected toa chain 25, which coils around a sleeve 26 and is secured at its rearend by a screw 28 to a projection on said sleeve. Upon said sleeve 26 isalso secured in a similar manner the end of a chain 29, which passesrearwardly underneath said sleeve 26 and then over the same andforwardly, being connectedby a wire 30 to a chain.31, which passesaround a horizontal wheel 32, pivotally supported in the mannerhereinafter described, the other end of said chain being attached to asecond wire 30, extending rearwardly and connected at its rear end witha second chain 29 upon a second sleeve 26 on the other end of the rearaxle.

The construction is precisely the same on both sides of the wheel. Thechains and 29 are formed with links constructed to lap over spiral ribs34, formed on the sleeves 26.

It is evident that upon depressing the treadle 7 upon one side of thewheel the arm 8 of the lever 5 will be rocked rearwardly, thus movingthe Wire rod 9 rearwardly, and thus moving the wire rod 24 forwardly,and thereby rotating the sleeve 26 forwardly,while at the same time thetreadle on the opposite side of the wheel will be elevated through themedium of the wires 30 and the chain 31 around the wheel 32.

The reciprocating rotary motion of the two sleeve 26 is employed toproduce a continuous rotary motion of the rear wheel 3, and this isaccomplished by. means of a dog 40, pivotally mounted in a recess 41 onthe inner face of each sleeve 26 and normally pressed outward by meansof a spring '42. The tooth of said dog 40 will when the sleeve isrotated in a forwardly direction engage one of an annular series ofteeth 43 on the hub 44 of the rear wheel and will thereby impart aforward rotary motion to said wheel; but on the rearward reciprocationof the sleeve 26 the dog 40 will rotate freely past the teeth 43.

In order to change the gearing of the machine for climbing hills, theforks 17 may be moved up or down along the short arm 19 of the lever 20to or from its pivot, so as to decrease or increase the leverage of saidarm, and thereby correspondingly increase or decrease the amount ofmovement of the long arm of said lever. This maybe done by the foot whenriding, and for this purpose there is provided a shifting lever 47,pivoted at 48' on the rear side of the arm 19 and having a slot 49. Abolt 68 passes through the slot 49 and the slot 18 and holds the twotogether. Said lever has pivoted thereon a spring -actuatedlocking-lever 50, having a tooth 51, en-.

gaging a rack 52, formed on the front edge of the arm 19. By depressingwith the foot-the long arm 53 of the lever 50 the tooth 51 is re leasedfrom the rack 52 and the shifting lever is free to move up or down.Aspring 55 is attached to the said shifting lever and to the lever 20and normally draws the shifting lever upward, said spring 55 being muchmore powerful than the spring 56 of the locking-1 lever. Thus bypressing with the foot upon the locking-lever with sufficient pressureof the spring'56, but not to overcome that of means of a threaded rod 64to a hanger65,

secured in the under side of the bearing forthe shaft 22. The forkcarries at its rear enda friction-roller 66 in close proximity to thetire of the rear wheel. The spring 63 will be of sufficient strength toprevent rearward movement of the wheel 32 when downward pressure isexerted on only one of the treadles.

Tn that case the pressure will have the effect only of drawing the chain31 around the horizontal wheel 32 without its moving rearwardly; butwhen both feet are pressed down upon the treadles then the effect willbe to move the said wheel rearwardly, and thereby also move the roller66 into contact with the tire of the rear wheel to act as a brake.

I claim 1. In a bicycle, the combination of levers pivoted on. the rearaxle, having forwardlyextendinglong arms and downwardly-extending shortarms, treadles carried on the long arms of the levers, levers pivoted onthe bicycle-frame in front of the rear wheel having upwardly-extendinglong arms and downwardly-extending short arms, links and ter- 4 minalconnections thereof for connecting the short arms of the first leverswith the short arms of the second levers, the terminal connections onthe short arms of the second levers being movable along said lattershort arms, spring-actuated levers for holding said connections in anydesired position o'n said arms, the long armsof said latter leversextending forwardly from their pivots and arranged to be. moveddownwardly by the feet to release saidconnections, sleeves on the rearaxle, automatic clutches between said sleeves and axle, and connectionsfrom the levers pivoted on the bicycle-frame to rotate said sleeves,substantially as described.

2. In a bicycle, the combination. of levers pivoted on the rear axle,treadles, carried on the long arms of said levers, levers pivoted on thebicycle-frame in front of the rear wheel, connections between saidlevers and the levers on the rear axle, sleeves on the rear axle,

automatic clutches between said sleeves to EDVARD SARVELA.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, M. R. DANIELS,

